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Elon Musk’s Tesla posts record Q4 profit
of $3.7 Billion

######## surrounding the article denotes it is a “press release,” it was not written by Leasing News nor has the information been verified. The source noted. When an article is signed by the writer, it is considered a “byline.” It reflects the opinion and research of the writer.

Leasing and Finance Industry Help Wanted
Excellent Compensation/Marketing Support/Work

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Leasing News Advisor
Allan Levine

Mr. Levine joined the advisory board June 6, 2007.

Allan Levine, Partner
MADI$ON CAPITAL
11433 Cronridge Drive
Owings Mills, Md. 21117
alevine@madisoncapital.com
Direct Line: 443.796.7337
Office: 443.796.7333
Fax: 443.796.7200
Equipment and Vehicle Leasing Solutions
www.madisoncapital.com

Allan Levine is the past President of Madison Capital, LLC, stepping down at the end of 2017. He has been in the vehicle and equipment leasing business since 1971. In 1971, he began working with a firm focused on vehicle and small-ticket equipment leasing. In 1974, Allan partnered with the largest auto dealership group in Maryland and started Fox Auto & Truck Discount Leasing Company, which evolved, in the early 1980’s, into Fox Discount Leasing, Inc. In 1987, the name changed to form Fox Valley Leasing, which merged with Harbor Leasing to become Madison Capital in August of 1997. Since stepping down, Allan continues as a partner selling, reading credit, mentoring, and supporting all aspects of the business as it continues to grow; and, is always looking for the next transaction.

Allan has served on many boards and committees throughout leasing industry organizations; and, has been active in community organizations as well. Allan’s involvement has included the local chapter of the NVLA (National Vehicle Leasing Association). He has served on The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s Committee for Independent Leasing Companies (ILC) and its Future Council group. He was VP of his local Jewish Community Center and on its board of directors for many years and is past chair of The Gordon Center (a 550-seat boutique venue for the performing arts).

Allan has also served as a big brother in that local organization. Allan is a past Chairman of the Board of The Chimes, an international not-for-profit serving over 20000 individuals with development disabilities and employs more than 2300 employees.

Allan was on the Board of The Eastern Association of Equipment Lessors (EAEL) and was the Editor of The Independent, which was EAEL’s newsletter. In addition, Allan is currently on the advisory board of The Leasing News and has written several articles and cover association meetings for Leasing News. He has also served, at the board and committee levels of additional local philanthropic and community organizations as well as the Maryland Zoo.

Allan is a graduate of the University of Maryland where he played lacrosse. Allan is widowed and has 3 children and 7 grandchildren.

Allan plays golf and works out regularly to keep an energy level needed to support the rigors of the lease/finance industry. He still loves selling and when asked about retiring, he responds, “I do not understand that question”, but will review it.

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California AG defends small-business disclosure law
opposed by merchant cash advance lenders
By Shawn Johnson, Business News

California Attorney General Rob Bonta is defending the state’s newly enacted small-business disclosure law, which requires merchant cash advance lenders, factoring firms and some FinTechs to disclose annual percentage rates to borrowers.

Bonta sent a letter last week to Rohit Chopra, director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, supporting the agency’s view that the California law — which went into effect on Dec. 9 — is not preempted by the federal Truth in Lending Act.

California law requires that non-banks disclose the APR, total interest and fees on financing of $500,000 or less.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta is defending the state’s lending disclosure law for commercial loans in court.

Bonta submitted the letter last month in response to a preliminary determination by the CFPB that the small-business disclosure laws in four states — California, New York, Utah and Virginia — do not run afoul of TILA, the fundamental consumer protection law that created the current has made. Consumer Disclosure Rule. But TILA only regulates consumer disclosures. There are currently no federal disclosure requirements for commercial loans.

State disclosure laws that protect small businesses are a relatively new concept and only California and New York require that lenders enumerate and disclose key terms. The issue is further complicated by the proliferation of short-term, high-cost financing options online, created primarily by non-banks for small-business borrowers with bad credit. As states have become more active in seeking to regulate small-business lending, lenders have filed lawsuits and issued novel legal doctrines to override state laws.

Bonta wrote in note sheet to the CFPB that California’s disclosure law “was enacted in 2018 to help small businesses navigate a complex commercial financing market by mandating similar disclosure of certain credit terms in a manner similar to TILA’s requirements, but TILA for irregular commercial transactions by.”

The legislation went through four years of public notice and comment, with extensive input from industry, he said. Still, last month a trade group of merchant cash advance firms sued the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation in what many see as a Hail Mary pass to quash the new law. The New York-based Small Business Finance Association sued California’s DFPI commissioner, Clothilde Hewlett, alleging that the disclosure law violates the free speech rights of non-bank lenders, allowing them to market their products in a “false and deceptive manner.” From” the borrowers are forced to specify. trial.

“The reason for the lawsuit is that there are a number of reasons why APR disclosure doesn’t work for commercial finance products,” said Steve Dennis, CEO and executive director of the Small Business Finance Association. “What confuses customers is that they don’t understand what the APR is and with products with shorter terms it skips the calculation.”

Asset-based lenders and factoring firms allege that calculating the APR is challenging for businesses that pledge receivables for working capital. He also alleged that the state’s disclosure laws would raise the cost of debt for short-term financing, especially bridge loans of one or two weeks for commercial borrowers. Some experts also argue that the state is mandating yet another disclosure regime, with a lot of fine print that borrowers never read.

Bonta is urging the CFPB to clarify that state laws requiring more disclosure than federal law are not exempt. He also said that state law should only be applied where there is an actual conflict with federal law.

“It is vital that businesses and entrepreneurs have the information they need to understand the risks and benefits of borrowing and the tools to find solutions that meet their needs,” Bonta said in a press release. “

California’s DFPI said it has drafted rules to cover a wide range of financing, from closed-end loans to open-end credit plans, merchant cash advances, asset-based lending, lease financing and factoring transactions are included. When commercial financing is offered, the funder must disclose the total dollar cost of the financing and the total cost of financing expressed as an annual rate, meaning that lenders will be charged any finance charges, or estimated finance charges, annually. Percentage rate, or estimated APR, based on the specific commercial financing arrangement.

Lenders allege that the regulations will require them to provide information that does not accurately describe the costs of financing. They also claim that the new law prevents lenders from providing additional information to potential customers without risking fines, penalties and further liability.

“The disclosures required under the regulations, far from providing accurate information that would allow businesses to compare the terms and costs of different financing options, actually require providers to make inaccurate disclosures,” the lawsuit says.

Source:https://biz.crast.net/california-ag-defends-small-business-disclosure-law-opposed-by-merchant-cash-advance-lenders/

Las Vegas Prepares to Launch
First Marijuana Hotel in April

Voters in Nevada approved the recreational consumption of cannabis by individuals aged 21 and above on the November 2016 ballot. Like most states with legal cannabis markets, Nevada outlawed public cannabis consumption of any kind, meaning individuals had to use cannabis within their homes.

Since cities such as Las Vegas were looking to benefit big from cannabis tourism, out-of-state visitors had no choice but to consume cannabis in private residences with the owners’ permission. However, that will change when the Artisan Hotel Boutique becomes the first hotel to offer facilities for public consumption for residents and tourists.

Elevations Hotels and Resorts acquired the hotel from the Siegel Group in March 2022 for $11.90 million. A recent statement from Elevations Hotels and Resorts revealed that it would be investing millions of dollars to convert the boutique into a cannabis hotel dubbed the Lexi.

Source: Cannabisnewswire

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### Press Release ############################

Equipment Management Conference to Address
Market Trends, Equipment Technologies

Association Recognizes Members of 2023 Equipment Management Committee

Washington, D.C. – The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association will convene its 2023 Equipment Management Conference & Exhibition on Feb. 26-28 at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, FL. The annual conference draws asset managers, equipment appraisers, remarketers and service providers to the industry.

“We’re excited to welcome everyone to the 2023 Equipment Management Conference in Orlando,” said Tom Harford, Chair of the ELFA Equipment Management Committee and SVP with Wells Fargo Equipment Finance. “Our planning committee has developed an outstanding agenda with multiple opportunities to hear from experts and catch up with your peers. It’s an efficient use of your time, with everyone you need to see in one place.”

Highlights will include:

Sector sessions offering an overview and outlook of market conditions for a variety of equipment segments, including electric vehicles, construction, renewables, medical, rail, material handling, machine tools, marine, food & agriculture and office products
Expanded roundtable discussions about multiple asset classes
Hot-topic general sessions including:

What’s Hot? What’s Not? Equipment Market Forecast 2023

Supply Chain Issues Related to Trucks, Tractors and Trailers
Keynote on “Future Equipment Technologies and What is Holding Us Up from Getting There” with Curt Blades, SVP, Industry Sectors & Product Leadership, Association of Equipment Manufacturers
Off-site tour of Ritchie Bros. auction site and boat tour of Port Canaveral
Exhibition of equipment appraisers, remarketers, auctioneers and other service providers
Multiple networking opportunities and receptions

Planning Committee

ELFA is pleased to recognize the subject matter experts on the 2023 Equipment Management Committee who are involved in developing the program content for the Equipment Management Conference. The members of the committee are:

Thomas Harford, SVP - Equipment Management Group, Wells Fargo Equipment Finance (Committee Chair)
Carl Chrappa, A.S.A, M.R.I.C.S., I.F.A, Senior Managing Director, The Alta Group LLC (Chair Emeritus)
Nicholas Coscia, Equipment Manager, Asset Management Americas CT&I, DLL
Anthony Gordon, Manager of Asset Management, Farm Credit Leasing
Laura Grill, VP, Asset Management, Truist Equipment Finance Corp.
Robert Herb, Vice President, Global Asset Manager, Healthcare & Clean Technology, DLL
Philip Houser, Director, Asset Management, CIT
Kelly Lane, Senior Vice President, Asset Management, BciCapital, Inc. (BciC)
Robert Mercogliano, SVP, Head of Asset Management, PEAC Solutions
James Merz, SVP - Head of Equipment Management, Fifth Third Bank, National Association
Thomas Monroe, Jr, SVP, ATEL Equipment Services, ATEL Capital Group (Immediate Past Chair)
Andrew Pace, Chief Client Experience Officer, Asset Compliant Solutions (ACS)
Jane Rethmeier, CEO, Harbor Capital Leasing, Inc.
Joseph Santora, President, Irontrax
Kevin Sensenbrenner, SVP/Senior Managing Director, Head of Asset Management, Stonebriar Commercial Finance
Douglas Simon, Senior Vice President, Head of Equipment Management, M&T Bank Corporation
Micheal Smith, President & CEO, RTR Services, Inc.
Kevin Toye, Senior Vice President, Bank of America Global Leasing
Wade Whitenburg, Strategic Accounts: Finance & Insolvency Management, Ritchie Bros.

More Information: The full agenda and registration details for the Equipment Management Conference are available at https://www.elfaonline.org/events/2023/EMC/.

About ELFA
The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) is the trade association that represents companies in the $1 trillion equipment finance sector, which includes financial services companies and manufacturers engaged in financing capital goods. ELFA members are the driving force behind the growth in the commercial equipment finance market and contribute to capital formation in the U.S. and abroad. Its 575 members include independent and captive leasing and finance companies, banks, financial services corporations, broker/packagers and investment banks, as well as manufacturers and service providers. ELFA has been equipping business for success for more than 60 years. For more information, please visit www.elfaonline.org.

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Watch at Home
by Fernando Croce, Leasing News Movie Reviewer

Catch up with our latest batch of streaming releases, which include a harrowing antiwar drama (“All Quiet in the Western Front”), a compelling tragicomedy (“The Banshees of Inisherin”), rollicking animation (“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish”), a mesmerizing thriller (“Stars at Noon”) and a gripping epic (“The Woman King”).

All Quiet on the Western Front (Netflix): Erich Maria Remarque’s 1928 antiwar book, which was already filmed as a 1930 Hollywood classic, gets a graphic remake in this unflinching German version. Unfolding during World War I, the story centers on Paul (Felix Kammerer), a young German student who, along with his classmates, enlists in the military after being swept up in nationalistic speeches. It’s not long, however, before fantasies of glory give way to the brutal realities of the battlefield, where mud and blood mingle to horrifying effect. Diplomats struggle for peace while commanders bark lethal orders, meanwhile the soldiers face missions where every moment might be their last. Director Edward Berger displays a clinical eye for harrowing carnage in a story that remains as urgent as ever. With subtitles.

The Banshees of Inisherin (iTunes, HBOMax, Vudu): Oscar-winning filmmaker Martin McDonagh (“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”) deftly mixes despair with humor in this compelling, melancholy tragicomedy, set on an Irish island in the 1920s. Colin Farrell is at his best as Padraic, the drinking buddy of local folk musician Colm (Brendan Gleeson). When their friendship seems to come to an abrupt end, Padraic seeks help from his sister Siobhan (Kerry Gordon) and a lovelorn islander named Dominic (Barry Keoghan) to try to mend things. What he finds out brings him face to face with mortality, as well as a sense of hope. Making evocative use of Irish locations, the film is a poignant, funny and haunting portrait of life’s essentialbonds, brimming with soulful performances and McDonagh’s snappy dialogue.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (iTunes, Vudu): Originally a supporting character in the “Shrek” franchise, Puss in Boots has since come into his own as an engaging protagonist, particularly in this engaging animated sequel. Having already spent eight of his nine lives during his adventures, the fanciful feline (once again delightfully voiced by Antonio Banderas) loses his confidence. A new chance comes when he joins a gang of thieves led by Goldilocks (Florence Pugh) in hopes of tracking down a lost wishing star. Things get complicated, however, when Puss crosses paths with his beloved Kitty Southpaws (Salma Hayek) and the villainous Jack Horner (John Mulaney), who have their own plans for the star. Directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, this is clever, funny, and full of zippy animation.

Stars at Noon (Hulu, iTunes, Vudu): One of the most striking filmmakers now working, French director Claire Denis (“High Life”) brings her distinctive sense of mercurial cinematic seduction to this absorbing drama, which gives the talented Margaret Qualley the plum role she deserves. Qualley plays Trish Johnson, a young American journalist adrift in Nicaragua, where the volatile political situation has left her with no money or documents. Reduced to selling her body in order to survive, Trish finds a light in the darkness when she becomes involved with Daniel (Joe Alwyn), an enigmatic Brit who says he’s an oil contractor. When the truth about him comes out, however, their situation becomes even more dangerous. Creating a tangibly humid atmosphere of limbo and danger, Denis serves up a mesmerizing thriller.

The Woman King (iTunes, Vudu): Viola Davis is fierceness personified in this sprawlingepic, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (“Beyond the Lights”). Based on real-life events, the story is set in 19th-century West Africa, where General Nanisca (Davis), the leader of an all-female warrior tribe, protects the Kingdom of Dahomey from enemies. Facing the looming threat of invaders along with slave traders, Nanisca turns her eyes to the younger generation in the person of Nawi (Thuso Mbedu), a 19-year-old recruit who learns about her place in the fight. Davis brings characteristic conviction to the main role, making Nanisca not only a ferocious warrior overcoming her private traumas but also a shrewd strategist in and out of the battlefield. The result is a full-scale spectacle with intelligence as well as sweep.

Fernando Croce is a nationally recognized film reviewer and has been contributing to Leasing News since the summer of 2008. His reviews appear each Friday.

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This Day in American History

    1772 - The "Washington and Jefferson Snowstorm" occurred. George Washington reported three feet of snow at Mount Vernon and Thomas Jefferson recorded about three feet at Monticello.
    1778 – Marines landed at New Providence, Bahamas and the American flag flew over foreign soil for the first time. The first American soldiers sent forth from the fledgling nation’s shores were a detachment of Marines. That amphibious raid, the first in what remains today a Marine specialty, aimed to seize guns and gunpowder from a British fort.
    1785 - The University of Georgia was founded, the first public university in the United States.
    1805 - Southeastern New York and New England were in the middle of a 3-day snowstorm. Snow fell continuously for 48 hours in New York City where two feet reportedly accumulated.
    1810 - The third U.S. Census recorded a population of 7,239,881, an increase of 1,931,298 over the 1800 Census. The 1810 census included one new state: Ohio. Black population rose by 481,361 to 1,278,110. Of this total, 186,746 were free citizens, a group omitted in the 1800 census. The center of population moved to a point 40 miles northwest of Washington, DC.
    1825 – Congress approved Indian Territory in what is present-day Oklahoma, clearing the way for forced relocation of the Eastern Indians on the "Trail of Tears."   The Indian Removal Act of 1830 included members of the Cherokee, Muscogee, Seminole, Chickasaw, and Choctaw nations, removing them from their ancestral homelands in the Southeast to an area west of the Mississippi River. The relocated people suffered from exposure, disease and starvation while en route, and more than ten thousand died before reaching their various destinations.
    1830 - The landmark Webster-Hayne debates took place January 19-27. They began when Senator Samuel A. Foot of Connecticut offered a resolution to restrain sale of public lands in the West. Sen. Thomas Hart Benton of Missouri replied by declaring that eastern interests were trying to check the prosperity of the West. He was supported by Sen. Robert Y. Hayne of South Carolina, who defended states’ rights. Hayne stated that “the very life of our system is the independence of the states, and that there is no evil more to be depreciated than the consolidation of this government.” Sen. Daniel Webster of Massachusetts replied by criticizing the tendency of some senators “to habitually speak of the union in terms of indifference, or even of disparagement.” The debate evolved into a discussion of the powers of the Constitution and the nature of the Union. In his speech of Jan. 26-27, Webster declared that the states were sovereign only in that area where their power is not qualified by the Constitution, and that the Constitution and the government were sovereign over the people. “Liberty and Union, now and forever, one and inseparable!” was included in the speech delivered by Daniel Webster of Massachusetts in debate with Sen. Robert Y. Hayne of South Carolina. Webster held that the union was stronger than the separate states and that its acts could not be nullified by them.
    1832 – Lewis Carroll (d. 1898) was born Charles Lutwidge Dodgson in England. His most famous writings are “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” its sequel “Through the Looking Glass,” which includes the poem “Jabberwocky,” and the poem “The Hunting of the Snark,” all examples of the genre of literary nonsense. He is noted for his facility at word play, logic, and fantasy.
    1850 - Birthday of Samuel Gompers (d. 1924), one of the key figures of the U.S labor movement, was born in England. In 1863, Gompers immigrated to New York with his family and soon joined his father working as a cigar maker in various New York sweatshops. Although he became heavily involved in the cigar makers' union, Gompers was hardly an advocate of labor's more left-leaning tendencies. As he rose to prominence in the union, Gompers gradually articulated his belief in strikes and boycotts tempered by responsibility and reason. In addition, he focused almost solely on economic goals and hailed binding contracts as a key to improving the lives of workers. In 1886, Gompers spearheaded the formation of the American Federation of Labor (A.F. of L.) He ruled the A.F. of L. for forty years, save for 1895, when a brief burst of socialist sentiment forced him out of office. Gompers shaped the A.F. of L. into his conservative ideal, leading the organization to eschew overt political affiliations, most notably radicalism, in favor of broad patriotic values. However, as employers and politicians increasingly marshaled tough tactics to quell the rising tide of labor, Gompers was forced to choose sides, and in 1908, he supported William Jennings Bryan's failed run for the Oval Office. A few years later, Gompers became a fierce ally of President Woodrow Wilson and Gompers used the pulpit of the A.F. of L., as well as the recently formed Pan American Labor Federation, to push the government's policy in World War I.
    1870 - At the then Indian Asbury University, Kappa Alpha Theta, the first women's Greek letter society, or sorority, was founded. The university is now called DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana.  http://www.kappaalphatheta.org/kat_v35/home/home_body.cfm
    1870 – Virginia ratified the 15th Amendment and was readmitted to the Union.
    1880 - Thomas Alva Edison patented the electric incandescent lamp.
    1885 - Birthday of Jerome Kern (d. 1945), American composer, New York City. In addition to scores for stage and screen, Kern wrote many memorable songs, including “Ol' Man River,” “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” “I Won't Dance,” “The Way You Look Tonight,“ “All the Things You Are,” and “The Last Time I Saw Paris.”
    1888 - In Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Society was founded.  http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
    1894 - The University of Chicago played its first basketball game, beating the Chicago YMCA Training School 19-11. The University of Chicago became the first basketball team to play a full schedule of games, ending with a 6-1 record.
    1900 - Birthday of Hyman Rickover (d. 1986) in Russia. American naval officer, known as the “Father of the Nuclear Navy.” Admiral Rickover directed development of nuclear reactor powered submarines, the first of which was the Nautilus, launched in 1954. Rickover was noted for his blunt remarks: “To increase the efficiency of the Department of Defense,” he said, “you must first abolish it.” The four-star admiral was forced to retire at the age of 81, after 63 years in the Navy. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
    1901 – Art Rooney (d. 1988) was born in Coulterville, PA. He founded the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1933. Since the league's inception in 1920, the NFL had wanted a team in Pittsburgh due to the city's already-long history with football and when the state of Pennsylvania relaxed its blue laws against Sunday activities, they finally awarded the franchise to Rooney. After decades as the NFL’s doormats, they won four Super Bowls while Rooney was still CEO and they were the first NFL team to win six.
    1908 - Birthday of trumpet player Oran “Hot Lips” Page (d. 1954), Dallas.
http://legacyrecordings.com/hotlipspage/
http://www.legacyrecordings.com/hotlipspage/main.html
http://www.musicweb.uk.net/encyclopaedia/p/P3.HTM
http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/recordings.asp?oid=8019
    1918 - Birthday of bandleader Lyle Russell “Skitch” Henderson (d. 2005), Halstad, MN. Best known as the bandleader for “The Tonight Show” with Steve Allen and then Johnny Carson.
http://www.newyorkpops.org/html/skitch_henderson.html
    1918 - The first Tarzan film, “Tarzan of the Apes,” is released. The silent movie, based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' novel, was the first in a long line of Tarzan productions. Olympic champion swimmer Johnny Weissmuller starred in 11 Tarzan movies from 1932 to 1948 and contributed Tarzan's signature yodel to the TV show, which ran from 1966 to 1969. The character was also featured in a radio show starting in 1932 and in a long-running comic strip.
    1921 - Birthday of Donna Reed (d. 1986), born Donna Belle Mullenger, Dennison, IA.   She who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in “From Here to Eternity” (1954). Also remembered for her role in "It's a Wonderful Life," but perhaps best known for her TV series "The Donna Reed Show” (1958-1966), winning 1963 Golden Globe for Best TV Star--female. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_Reed
    1927 - The Harlem Globetrotters opened their first tour with a game in Hinckley, IL. Founded by Abe Saperstein as a spin-off from the great Harlem Renaissance team, the Globetrotters quickly became fan favorites around the world.  http://harlemglobetrotters.com/
    1927 - Birthday of jazz pianist Don Shirley (d. 2013), Kingston, Jamaica.
http://www.donshirley.com/
http://artists.spun.com/don_shirley
http://www.donshirley.com/bio.html
    1930 – Birthday of Bobby ‘Blue' Bland was born Robert Calvin Brooks (d. 2013), Rosemont, TN. Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame singer: “That's the Way Love Is,” “Call on Me,” “Turn on Your Love Light,” “Ain't Nothin' You Can Do.” Original group: The Beale Streeters with Johnny Ace. His grainy vocal style is a mixture of gospel and blues, and he had considerable influence on singers as diverse as Rod Stewart and Al Green. "Call on Me" and "That's the Way Love Is" was a double-sided million-seller for Bland in 1963. But white audiences didn't begin to buy his records until he recorded his "California Album" and "Dreamin'" in the early '70s. They proved to be the most popular LPs of his career. When I lived in New Orleans for a long summer in 1958 with my friend Warren Luening, Jr. and his family, Bobby “Blue” Bland was number one on the radio. I could do a pretty good impression of Bobby “Blue” Bland, including imitating his stand and manners. I knew most of his songs by heart. I have never missed a chance to see him when he was in the San Francisco Bay Area, including spending my birthdays after midnight, at his New Year's Eve Show, at the San Carlos Circle Star Theater. (B.B.King also shared the stage.)
http://www.rockhall.com/hof/inductee.asp?id=68
http://data.sonicnet.com/artists/news/620757/01262000/bland_bobby.jhtml
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/artist/glance/-/101654/
002-1241397-9042458
    1931 - Birthday of Rudy Maugeri (d. 2004), baritone singer and arranger for the Crew-Cuts, in Toronto, Canada. All four members of the group were students at St. Michael's Cathedral Choir School in Toronto. They were discovered in 1954 by Mercury Records while they were singing in Cleveland under the name of the Canadaires. They became the Crew-Cuts after the popular hair style of the time. One of the first white groups to record rock 'n' roll versions of black rhythm-and-blues hits, the Crew Cuts are best known for their 1954 million-seller "Sh-Boom."
http://www.fullyalivecenter.org/morebios.htm
    1933 – Jerry Buss (d. 2013) was born in Salt Lake City. He was the majority owner of the LA Lakers NBA championship team, winning 10 titles that were highlighted by the team's Showtime era during the 1980s. He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor. Buss also owned other professional sports franchises in Southern California.
    1936 – Actor Troy Donahue (d. 2001) was born Merle Johnson, Jr. in NYC. Donahue became a popular male sex symbol of the 1950s and 1960s.
    1939 – Birthday of Julius Lester (d. 2018), re-teller of legends and folklore of the American South, born St. Louis, Missouri. Since the early 1970's, Lester has served as a professor at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmr/mtai/lester.html
http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~kvander/cool6.html
    1941 - Birthday of vibe player Bobby Hutcherson (d. 2016), Los Angeles, CA
http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/hutcherson_bobby/bio.jhtml
http://www.grunthos.demon.co.uk/dialogue.htm
    1943 - The first air attack on Germany by the Army Air Force in World War II was made by the 8th Air Force led by Brigadier General Haywood Shepherd Hansell III from bases in England. The targets were naval bases and docks at Wilhelmshaven and factories in Emden in northwest Germany. The Americans lost three planes on the mission, two Liberators and one Flying Fortress. Of 64 planes participating in the raid, 53 reached their targets. The German loss was 22 fighter airplanes and 3 bombers. The B-17 Flying Fortresses, capable of sustaining heavy damage while continuing to fly, and the B-24 Liberators, long-range bombers, became famous for precision bombing raids. The premier example was the raid on Wilhelmshaven, commanded by Brig. Gen. Newton Longfellow. The 8th Air Force was amazingly effective and accurate in bombing warehouses and factories in this first air attack against the Axis power.
    1944 - The siege of Leningrad began with German bombing of the city. The bombing continued for 430 hours. The suffering of the people of Leningrad during the 880-day siege was one of the greatest tragedies of World War II. More than half the population of Russian’s second largest city died during the winter of 1942. The siege finally ended on January 27, 1944.
    1944 - The Boston Braves fired manager Casey Stengel, who becomes the victim of an ownership change. He caught on with the minor league Milwaukee Brewers, winning the pennant in 1944, and then was hired by George Weiss to manage the Kansas City Blues beginning 1945. After Stengel achieved success at the helm of the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League, he went on to become manager of the New York Yankees in 1949. He won the World Series in each year from 1949-53, the only manager to do so in Major League history. He took the Yankees to the World Series every year but 1954 and 1959 during his tenure that ended after the 1960 Series. Famous “Stengelisms” include: "The Yankees don't pay me to win every day - just two out of three;" "The secret of managing a club is to keep the five guys who hate you away from the five guys who are undecided;" and "You have to draft a catcher, because if you don't have one, the ball will roll all the way back to the screen." When he was fired after losing the 1960 World Series, he quipped, “I’ll never make the mistake of being 70 again.” He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966.
    1945 - The Russians liberated the Auschwitz concentration camp, where the Nazis had murdered 1.5 million men, women and children, including more than one million Jews.
    1947 - Top Hits
For Sentimental Reasons - Nat King Cole
A Gal in Calico - Johnny Mercer
Ole Buttermilk Sky - The Kay Kyser Orchestra (vocal: Mike Douglas & The Campus Kids)
Rainbow at Midnight - Ernest Tubb
    1948 - Wire Recording Corporation of America unveiled the first magnetic tape recorder, the ‘Wireway' machine containing a built-in oscillator. It sold for $149.50.
    1951 – Nuclear testing began at the Nevada Test Site with a one-kiloton bomb dropped on Frenchman Flat.
    1955 - Birthday of John G. Roberts, Jr., Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, born Buffalo, NY.
    1955 - Top Hits
“Mr. Sandman” - The Chordettes
“Let Me Go, Lover!” - Teresa Brewer
“Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)” - The Penguins
“Loose Talk” - Carl Smith
    1956 - Elvis Presley, "Heartbreak Hotel" released today. Presley's first on his new record label RCA Victor, it topped Billboard’s Top 100 chart for seven weeks, Cashbox's pop singles chart for six weeks, was No. 1 on the Country and Western chart for seventeen weeks and reached No. 3 on the R&B chart, becoming Presley's first million-seller, and one of the best-selling singles of 1956. In 1995, "Heartbreak Hotel" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and, in 2004, Rolling Stone magazine named it one of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time." That year, it was also included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.”
    1958 - Little Richard enters Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama. It's a school for blacks run by the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Little Richard explains while flying over the Philippines on tour, the wing on his plane caught fire and his prayers that the flames go out were answered. As a result, he says he's giving up rock and roll so he can serve God.
http://www.littlerichard.com/
    1959 - Birthday of Anthony Cris Collinsworth, sportscaster, former football player, born Dayton, OH.
    1961 - Leontyne Price debuted at New York's Metropolitan Opera House, singing the role of Leonora in "Il Trovatore." Price was the seventh black singer to make a debut at the Met, the first was Marian Anderson in 1955.
    1962 - Elvis Presley received his 29th gold record for “Can't Help Falling in Love,” just weeks after receiving one for the soundtrack to his seventh movie, “Blue Hawaii.”
    1962 - Joey Dee and the Starliters' "Peppermint Twist" hits #1
    1962 - Benny Goodman Band enplanes for Soviet tour; first jazz band to play Russia.
    1963 - Top Hits
“Walk Right In” - The Rooftop Singers
“Hey Paula” - Paul & Paula
“Tell Him” - The Exciters
“The Ballad of Jed Clampett" - Flatt & Scruggs
    1964 - Senator Margaret Chase Smith (R-MA) announces her candidacy for President of the United States at a Women's National Press Club luncheon. In her statement, she acknowledged that many think that "No woman should ever dare to aspire to the White House - and that this is a man's world and should be kept that way." She received 27 votes at the national convention which nominated Barry Goldwater.
    1966 - Oswego, NY, was in the midst of a five-day lake effect storm which left the town buried under 102 inches of snow.
    1967 - During a preflight test for what was to be the first manned Apollo mission, a fire claimed the lives of three U.S. astronauts; Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee. After the disaster, the mission was officially designated Apollo 1. The Apollo program was designed to land humans on the Moon and bring them safely back to Earth. Six of the missions (Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17) achieved this goal. Apollo 7 and 9 were Earth orbiting missions to test the Command and Lunar Modules and did not return lunar data. Apollo 8 and 10 tested various components while orbiting the Moon and returned photography of the lunar surface. Apollo 13 did not land on the Moon due to a malfunction, but also returned photographs. The six missions that landed on the Moon returned a wealth of scientific data and almost 400 kilograms of lunar samples. Experiments included soil mechanics, meteoroids, seismic, heat flow, lunar ranging, magnetic fields, and solar wind experiments.
    1967 - EVANS, DONALD W., JR., Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company A, 2d Battalion, 12 Infantry, 4th Infantry Division. Place and date: Tri Tam, Republic of Vietnam, 27 January 1967. Entered service at: Covina, Calif. Born: 23 July 1943, Covina, Calif. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. He left his position of relative safety with his platoon which had not yet been committed to the battle to answer the calls for medical aid from the wounded men of another platoon which was heavily engaged with the enemy force. Dashing across 100 meters of open area through a withering hail of enemy fire and exploding grenades, he administered lifesaving treatment to 1 individual and continued to expose himself to the deadly enemy fire as he moved to treat each of the other wounded men and to offer them encouragement. Realizing that the wounds of 1 man required immediate attention, Sp4c. Evans dragged the injured soldier back across the dangerous fire-swept area, to a secure position from which he could be further evacuated. Miraculously escaping the enemy fusillade, Sp4c. Evans returned to the forward location. As he continued the treatment of the wounded, he was struck by fragments from an enemy grenade. Despite his serious and painful injury he succeeded in evacuating another wounded comrade, rejoined his platoon as it was committed to battle and was soon treating other wounded soldiers. As he evacuated another wounded man across the fire covered field, he was severely wounded. Continuing to refuse medical attention and ignoring advice to remain behind, he managed with his waning strength to move yet another wounded comrade across the dangerous open area to safety. Disregarding his painful wounds and seriously weakened from profuse bleeding, he continued his lifesaving medical aid and was killed while treating another wounded comrade. Sp4c. Evan’s extraordinary valor, dedication and indomitable spirit saved the lives of several of his fellow soldiers, served as an inspiration to the men of his company, were instrumental in the success of their mission, and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.
    1967 - Residents of Chicago, IL began to dig out from a storm which produced 23 inches of snow in 29 hours. The snow paralyzed the city and suburbs for days, and business losses were enormous
    1967 - The United States, United Kingdom, and Soviet Union signed the Outer Space Treaty in Washington, DC, banning deployment of nuclear weapons in space, and limiting use of the Moon and other celestial bodies to peaceful purposes. “Gort, Klaatu barada nikto.”
    1968 - Seven weeks after singer Otis Redding's death, his song "(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay" was released. It hit #1 on March 16, 1968, staying at the top for a month. In 1960, Redding began his recording career with Johnny Jenkins and The Pinetoppers on Confederate Records. He sang duet with Carla Thomas and charted 11 hits. Redding, from Dawson, Georgia, died in a plane crash at Lake Monona near Madison, Wisconsin. The crash also killed four members of the Bar-Kays. "The Dock of the Bay," Redding's only number one song, was recorded three days before his death.
    1968 - The Bee Gees gave their first American concert as a group, earning $50,000 to play at the Anaheim Convention Center in California. The Beatles were paid the same amount to perform at the Hollywood Bowl a few years prior.
    1971 - The first US postage stamp depicting a Jew was the three-cent bright red-violet postage stamp to commemorate the centenary of the birth of labor leaser Samuel Gompers, one of the founders of the American Federal of Labor. The stamps were printed by rotary press, 70 stamps to the pane.
    1971 - Top Hits
“Knock Three Times” - Dawn
“Lonely Days” - Bee Gees
“Stoney End” - Barbra Streisand
“Rose Garden” - Lynn Anderson
    1972 - The New Seekers received a gold record for “I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing” on this date. The song was an effective campaign tool for Coca-Cola television commercials.
http://www.lyricsfreak.com/t/the-new-seekers/51115.htm
    1973 - DVN Day. The US and North Vietnam, along with South Vietnam and the Viet Cong, signed the official "Agreement on ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam." Signed at Paris, France, to take effect January 28 at 8 AM Saigon time, thus ending US combat role in a war that had involved American personnel stationed in Vietnam since defeated French forces had departed under terms in the Geneva Accords in 1954. Thus ended the longest war in US history. This is the same agreement as was drafted the previous October.
3 million Americans were enlisted in the military
47,366 Americans died in combat in the Vietnam war
· 275,000 Americans experience a death in their family
· 1.4 million saw someone in their family wounded
· 6.5 million served in armed forces, 1 million+ saw combat
Peace negotiations between the United States and North Vietnam had been ongoing since 1968. Richard Nixon was elected President that year, largely on the basis of his promise to find a way to "peace with honor" in Vietnam. Four years later, after the deaths of thousands more American servicemen, South Vietnamese soldiers, North Vietnamese soldiers, and Viet Cong fighters, the Paris Peace Accords were signed, and America's participation in the struggle in Vietnam came to a close. Most Americans were relieved simply to be out of the Vietnam quagmire. At home, the war seriously fractured the consensus about the Cold War that had been established in the period after World War II--simple appeals to fighting the red threat of communism would no longer be sufficient to move the American nation to commit its prestige, manpower, and money to foreign conflicts. For Vietnam, the accords meant little. The cease-fire almost immediately collapsed, with recriminations and accusations flying from both sides. In 1975, the North Vietnamese launched a massive military offensive, crushed the South Vietnamese forces, and reunified Vietnam under communist rule. Contrary to popular belief, both the Korean War and Viet Nam War were bad for the economy, resulting in areas of high unemployment, high inflation, and a larger disparity in income between the wealthy and not wealthy. Richard Nixon inherited this from Lyndon Johnson who in turn took over from John F. Kennedy who inherited it from Dwight Eisenhower. Whether President Kennedy would have listened to the public, or not have been fooled by the military as history has shown Johnson was fooled, is debated by historians. It cost Johnson the election, and he shortly thereafter died a broken man. Ironically, within weeks of the departure of American troops, the war between North and South Vietnam resumed. For the Vietnamese that remained and did not flee to the United States, the war didn't end until April 30, 1975, when Saigon fell to Communist forces. Today, we not only trade with the country but have built American industrial plants in North Viet Nam.
    1973 - The UCLA Bruins, led by center Bill Walton, beat Notre Dame, 82-63, to set an NCAA record with their 61st consecutive victory. The Bruins broke the record set by the University of San Francisco in 1956 when Bill Russell played center for the Dons.
    1976 - “Laverne and Shirley” premiered on TV. This ABC sitcom was a spin-off of the popular TV show “Happy Days” that was also set during the 50's in Milwaukee, WI. Penny Marshall, sister of series co-creator, Garry Marshall, starred as Laverne DeFazio with Cindy Williams as Shirley Feeney. The two friends worked at a brewery and shared a basement apartment. Also featured in the cast were Phil Foster as Laverne's father, Frank DeFazio; David L. Lander as co-worker Andrew ‘Squiggy” Sguiggman; Michael McKean as co-worker Lenny Kosnowski; Betty Garrett as landlady Edna Babis and Eddie Mekka as Carmine Ragusa, Shirley's sometime boyfriend.
    1979 - Top Hits
“Le Freak” - Chic
“Y.M.C.A.” - Village People
“Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?” - Rod Stewart
“Why Have You Left the One You Left Me For” - Crystal Gayle
    1979 - Rod Stewart's album "Blondes Have More Fun" became number one on the Billboard chart. Sales of the album were spurred by the single "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" and the success represented a comeback for Stewart.
    1980 - Through cooperation between the U.S. and Canadian governments, six American diplomats secretly escaped Iran in the culmination of the ‘Canadian Caper.’ They had evaded capture during the seizure of the United States embassy in Tehran and the taking of embassy personnel as hostages on November 4, 1979.
    1984 - Center Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers scored a goal against the New Jersey Devils to extend his streak of scoring either a goal or an assist to 51 games, an NHL record. The Great One was stopped by the Los Angeles Kings, a team he later played for, the next night.
    1984 – Michael Jackson suffered second degree burns to his scalp during the filming of a Pepsi commercial.
    1987 - Top Hits
“At This Moment” - Billy Vera & The Beaters
“Open Your Heart” - Madonna
“Control” - Janet Jackson
“Cry Myself to Sleep” - The Judds
    1989 - Michael Jackson gave what was billed as his last concert performance in Los Angeles. The show marked the end of Jackson's "Bad" world tour, which had begun 16 months earlier in Japan. In the audience at the LA concert were such stars as Elizabeth Taylor, Jane Fonda, Phil Collins, Tiffany and members of Motley Crue. The "Bad" tour included 123 concerts in 15 countries, with a total attendance of 4.4-million and a box office gross of over 125-million dollars, both record figures. Jackson's "Bad" LP sold more than 20-million copies worldwide.
    1989 - The last half of January was bitterly cold over most of Alaska. Nearly thirty stations established all-time record low temperatures. On this date Tanana reported a low of -76 degrees. Daily highs of -66 degrees were reported at Chandalar Lake on the 22nd, and at Ambler on the 26th.
    1990 - Another in a series of cold fronts brought high winds to the northwestern U.S., and more heavy snow to some of the higher elevations. The series of vigorous cold fronts crossing the area between the 23rd and the 27th of the month produced up to 60 inches of snow in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State.
    1991 - The New York Giants defeated the Buffalo Bills 20-19, to win Super Bowl XXV. Buffalo kicker Scott Norwood saw his 47-year field goal attempt sail wide right with eight seconds to play. It is perhaps one of the most remembered losses in NFL history.
http://images.nfl.com/history/images/0127.jpg
    1991 - Whitney Houston performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the Super Bowl game - sort of. What the crowd heard was a pre-recorded version while Houston and an orchestra performed on the field. A blend of Houston's live vocals and the pre-recorded version, released as a single, became a hit because of patriotism sparked by the Persian Gulf War.
    1992 - Country singer Wynonna Judd made her debut as a solo artist on the American Music Awards show on ABC TV. The Judds, the award-winning duo of Wynonna and her mother Naomi, broke up in 1991 because of Naomi's ill health.
    1993 - Warner Brothers announced it was releasing Ice-T from his recording contract. The company cited "creative differences" for the decision, which followed the previous year's controversy over Ice-T's "Cop Killer." Police and others said the track advocated the killing of police. Several of Ice-T's concerts had to be cancelled when off-duty police refused to provide security for the shows. Ironically, he went from a regular detective on “Homicide,” Baltimore, MD., to a key detective on “Law and Order, Criminal Intent,” New York City.
    1993 - Fans at a Clovis, New Mexico club, expecting to see a group called Yukon Jack, got a shock when Garth Brooks and his band walked on stage. The surprise performance was arranged by Brooks' booking agent - a longtime friend of the club's owner.
    1994 - A frigid arctic air was in place over New England and New York as a massive 1052 millibar high pressure provided ideal radiational cooling. Crown Point, NY dipped to 48 degrees below zero and Shoreham, VT shivered with 46 degrees below zero. Burlington, VT broke its old record daily low by 9 degrees with a reading of 29 degrees below zero and Caribou, ME set a record low for the third day in a row with a temperature of 23 degrees below zero
    1997 - National Semiconductor agreed to sell its Fairchild Semiconductor business to the unit's management. The separation of the two companies would allow National Semi to focus on expensive custom chips instead of high-volume, low-cost chips, which Fairchild specialized in.
    1997 - Ottawa native Alanis Morissette's "Jagged Little Pill" was named favorite album at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles. Presenter Paula Abdul accepted the award for Morissette, who was on vacation in India. Morissette was also picked as favorite female artist. Timmins, Ontario, native Shania Twain captured the trophy for best female country artist.
    1998 - The Spice Girls' "Girl Power: Live in Istanbul" video was released by Virgin Music Video, and was later certified platinum.
    2005 - Month-to-date snowfall at Boston Logan International Airport totaled 43.1 inches, making January the snowiest month on record.
    2005 – The UN General Assembly designated January 27 as International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust.” In doing so, the UN rejected any denial of the Holocaust as a historical event and remembered the words of General Dwight Eisenhower who directed the photographic preservation of the concentration camps when they were liberated in 1945.
    2006 – Western Union discontinued its telegram and Commercial Messaging services.
    2010 – Steve Jobs CEO of Apple, unveiled a new invention, a tablet PC called the iPad, at a press conference in San Francisco. As of September 2020, Apple has sold more than 500 million iPads though sales peaked in 2013. It is the most popular tablet computer by sales as of the second quarter of 2020.
    2014 - Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who had been granted temporary asylum in Russia, claimed that his decision to leak classified NSA documents about mining emails and telephone call logs has resulted in several significant threats to his life.
    2014 - The U.S. Postal Service will soon implement a rate hike in postage, approved last December the price of first-class postage stamps to 49 cents from 46 cents.
    2015 – Boston and much of New England were buried under more than two feet of snow with winds exceeding 70 mph.
    2017 – President Donald Trump issued an executive order banning travel to the US from seven mostly Muslim countries and suspending admission for refugees.

Super Bowl Champions:
    1991 - New York Giants

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